• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

best way of getting rid of lower chest and lower stomach fat

Puigb

DP Veteran
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
13,476
Reaction score
7,260
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Undisclosed
3 years ago I was weighing 260 pounds at 6'0. Yes, I was obese. Since then I have dropped down to roughly 178-182 pounds, which apparently is a healthy weight for my height. I lift weights almost every day, and do a lot of cardio. I've improved my physique a lot, however I still have an issue with lower chest fat and lower belly fat. Can I ever get rid of it? Or did being previous obese hinder me from ever getting a completely toned body?
 
Never been Obese but when I had similar issues at my stomach in the past I started swimming (front crawl) and doing about 50 lengths of a pool. Worked a treat then.

Funnily, now I have zero time for exercise the way I have cut stomach fat right down again is by cutting out bread and sugar completely. My partner keeps tempting me with cakes and chocolates but that way lies the devil....
 
Exercise alone will not tone your body, you have to diet as well. A balanced, low-fat diet would be a great addition to your exercise routine.
 
For me, it's the carbs. No beer, no bread, no cake.
 
Overrating is usually the reason for a big stomach. Beer will do it too.
 
Exercise alone will not tone your body, you have to diet as well. A balanced, low-fat diet would be a great addition to your exercise routine.

I do, though I do admit to eating a significant amount of carbs.
 
If you cut out carbs you will see a dramatic reduction in just a week or two. It sounds really simple, but it definitely works.
 
Spot reduction is a myth. You can't target specific parts of your body for fat loss. Your body loses or gains fat as a whole. Which parts of your body tend to hold on to the fat longer is just a matter of DNA. The BF% you have to reach to get rid of that lower chest and stomach fat may be higher or lower than the BF% I would have to have to accomplish the same thing. The best you can do is lower your overall BF% through diet and exercise and hope your genetics cooperate.
 
3 years ago I was weighing 260 pounds at 6'0. Yes, I was obese. Since then I have dropped down to roughly 178-182 pounds, which apparently is a healthy weight for my height. I lift weights almost every day, and do a lot of cardio. I've improved my physique a lot, however I still have an issue with lower chest fat and lower belly fat. Can I ever get rid of it? Or did being previous obese hinder me from ever getting a completely toned body?

i'm 5'11, and i hit 267 in the early to mid 2000s. i lost 100 pounds, and am currently in the mid to upper 160s. a lot of it depends on the elasticity of your skin, but i wouldn't get discouraged. just do the best that you can. i keep a food diary and walk my ass off daily.
 
i'm 5'11, and i hit 267 in the early to mid 2000s. i lost 100 pounds, and am currently in the mid to upper 160s. a lot of it depends on the elasticity of your skin, but i wouldn't get discouraged. just do the best that you can. i keep a food diary and walk my ass off daily.

It sucks because with a shirt on I look muscular and toned...but without you can still see some "loose skin". Oh well, I'll keep trying to get rid of it.
 
Listen to Bob. You can't "target" belly fat unfortunately. To reduce your belly fat you just have to continue to reduce your overall body fat %. So, diet.
 
Echoing the above - spot reduction is a myth.

Secondly though, losing fat is primarily about diet. Exercise is obviously important but streamlining your diet is the main thing.

If you're really serious about it, start tracking your calories and your macros. Evaluate your resting metabolic rate. Ensure you're running at a calorie deficit and avoid carbs where possible.
 
I'm am surprised how many people still believe that you can spot reduce body fat.
 
3 years ago I was weighing 260 pounds at 6'0. Yes, I was obese. Since then I have dropped down to roughly 178-182 pounds, which apparently is a healthy weight for my height. I lift weights almost every day, and do a lot of cardio. I've improved my physique a lot, however I still have an issue with lower chest fat and lower belly fat. Can I ever get rid of it? Or did being previous obese hinder me from ever getting a completely toned body?

Running worked for me, until I couldn't do it anymore. I don't have a 'fat' tendency, but when I gained muscle mass at the and wanted to cut/trim the excess that always came with it, running worked. Other forms of cardio didn't do it for me. Keep at the weights - that's important.

Side note : be careful of your lower back when doing ab exercises. Some of those can mess you up.
 
Listen to Bob. You can't "target" belly fat unfortunately. To reduce your belly fat you just have to continue to reduce your overall body fat %. So, diet.

Yeah, that seems to be the case.

It's funny because I've been obsessing over decline bench press to try and "tighten up" the lower chest fat...and it hasn't worked much.

But man, I'm 178 pounds at 6'0, do I really need to get skinner?
 
I'm am surprised how many people still believe that you can spot reduce body fat.

I didn't necessarily believe that to be the case, but at the same time I can't imagine getting any skinnier than I am. I think I'm just one of those people who stores more fat in their stomach compared to others.
 
Exercise alone will not tone your body, you have to diet as well. A balanced, low-fat diet would be a great addition to your exercise routine.

The body stores fat wherever it does. It reduces it the same way. You can't decide to lose fat in just one area and expect that to happen. It has to come off everywhere. The weight lifting will tone your muscles. Reducing fat requires you to eat fewer calories than your metabolism burns. The reason it is recommended to exercise in a weight loss program is that exercise burns calories.
 
I didn't necessarily believe that to be the case, but at the same time I can't imagine getting any skinnier than I am. I think I'm just one of those people who stores more fat in their stomach compared to others.

That could be. areas of the body holding more fat than others sometimes indicates a body system dysfunction. Visceral fat , is something that accumulates around the organs and is deeper than the subcutaneous fat that we have everywhere.
so if you have some of both of those the midsection will have some paunch. a lot of that kind of fat is indicative of insulin issues, liver issues etc.. the same kinds of issues that lead to diabetes.
Fat loss is easier at first but once you get down to the leaner levels its more of a challenge.
Exercise is certainly needed but your diet is more important, particularly at the point you are at. of the many videos and texts ive read most have said that when you are trying to get lean and more ripped that diet is 70-80 of the battle.
I don't know how and what you eat but perhaps I would explore that more.
 
If its skin it is what it is... surgery is the only option. If it is adipose tissue then keeping your insulin at the lowest levels possible will create the hormonal environment in your system which will make your fat cells release their triglycerides.

My suggestion is do some study into the effects of becoming 'keto adapted'.
 
Never been Obese but when I had similar issues at my stomach in the past I started swimming (front crawl) and doing about 50 lengths of a pool. Worked a treat then.

Funnily, now I have zero time for exercise the way I have cut stomach fat right down again is by cutting out bread and sugar completely. My partner keeps tempting me with cakes and chocolates but that way lies the devil....

I've been reading that swimming in cold water is a natural fat-burner. Your body works overtime to produce bodyheat, and thus burns calories.
 
I've lost about 50 lbs since the second week in November, dropping from 250 to about 200. My arms and shoulders and basically everything above my nipples look as ripped as most competitive bodybuilders (although I'm not that big), as do my legs. But I'm in the same club as everyone else who has a hard time loosing mid-section fat. It's coming off, but very very very slowly.

And everyone is right, you can't spot reduce fat, but by lifting weights you can build up the muscle under the fat, and still look pretty decent even with some mid-section fat "hanging" around.

With me, my hope is that since I've lost about all the fat I can from my upper-upper body and my legs, it's gotta start coming off my mid section a lot faster very soon (the weight loss has to come from somewhere). Maybe the OP can share in this expectation (soon).
 
That could be. areas of the body holding more fat than others sometimes indicates a body system dysfunction. Visceral fat , is something that accumulates around the organs and is deeper than the subcutaneous fat that we have everywhere.
so if you have some of both of those the midsection will have some paunch. a lot of that kind of fat is indicative of insulin issues, liver issues etc.. the same kinds of issues that lead to diabetes.
Fat loss is easier at first but once you get down to the leaner levels its more of a challenge.
Exercise is certainly needed but your diet is more important, particularly at the point you are at. of the many videos and texts ive read most have said that when you are trying to get lean and more ripped that diet is 70-80 of the battle.
I don't know how and what you eat but perhaps I would explore that more.

geez...I hope not.

As for how I eat...i do need to cut down on carbs. Maybe that is the problem.
 
I've lost about 50 lbs since the second week in November, dropping from 250 to about 200. My arms and shoulders and basically everything above my nipples look as ripped as most competitive bodybuilders (although I'm not that big), as do my legs. But I'm in the same club as everyone else who has a hard time loosing mid-section fat. It's coming off, but very very very slowly.

And everyone is right, you can't spot reduce fat, but by lifting weights you can build up the muscle under the fat, and still look pretty decent even with some mid-section fat "hanging" around.

With me, my hope is that since I've lost about all the fat I can from my upper-upper body and my legs, it's gotta start coming off my mid section a lot faster very soon (the weight loss has to come from somewhere). Maybe the OP can share in this expectation (soon).

it's funny that you say that, because at a distance looking in the mirror, I look decent. It's when I get up close...where you can notice some belly fat still hanging around.

Since summer is right around the corner...I was hoping to get rid of it. Doesn't look like it will happen yet though.
 
it's funny that you say that, because at a distance looking in the mirror, I look decent. It's when I get up close...where you can notice some belly fat still hanging around.

Since summer is right around the corner...I was hoping to get rid of it. Doesn't look like it will happen yet though.

I'm sorta exactly the same way. Up close, my lean areas look really really lean, like grainy striated and veiny. But I can't see a trace of abs. But from six feet or more away, I can see a hint of abs - on one side at least, I don't think my abdominal wall knots up on the other side, I'm never going to have abs on both sides.

At first I thought I would be able to lose enough weight by my cruise last Feb, nope, I lost a lot of weight, but no where near abs. So I reset that goal for memorial day weekend, nope, that aint gunna happen either, I'm a lot leaner than I was in Feb, but still need to lose 5-10 more lbs of fat. So now I'm hoping for July 4th, but if I don't make that, then I'll keep trying and make a new goal for Labor day. I think it's a matter of never giving up, keep trying, keep getting closer and closer to that end goal.
 
I'm sorta exactly the same way. Up close, my lean areas look really really lean, like grainy striated and veiny. But I can't see a trace of abs. But from six feet or more away, I can see a hint of abs - on one side at least, I don't think my abdominal wall knots up on the other side, I'm never going to have abs on both sides.

At first I thought I would be able to lose enough weight by my cruise last Feb, nope, I lost a lot of weight, but no where near abs. So I reset that goal for memorial day weekend, nope, that aint gunna happen either, I'm a lot leaner than I was in Feb, but still need to lose 5-10 more lbs of fat. So now I'm hoping for July 4th, but if I don't make that, then I'll keep trying and make a new goal for Labor day. I think it's a matter of never giving up, keep trying, keep getting closer and closer to that end goal.

Good luck to you man.
 
Back
Top Bottom